GERMANY 1 - 0 ARGENTINA (aet)

Sunday, 13 July 2014

Maracana Stadium, Rio de JaneiroWorld Cup 2014, Final

"This deep feeling of happiness will remain with us all forever. It makes us all proud."

GERMANY ARE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS !!

9 July 2014 - 14 July 2014

Goalscorer:Mario Götze 113'

Joachim Löw becoms the first European coach to win the World Cup in South America and the first German coach to win outside of Europe, cementing not only his place in German football history alongside Herberger, Schön and Beckenbauer, but in world football history forever.

We've been together for 55 days but we started this whole project ten years ago. Our great strength is that we've been able to continually improve over that time. If anyone has earned this victory then it's this team. Today there was only one deserving winner, and that's this team. They've developed incredible team spirit and unbelievable willpower over the past few weeks. - from dfb.de

"We have been able to improve our performances, we believed in it and worked a lot for it. This team really deserves it with the likes of Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker. We have had disappointment in the past having gone close by playing good football.""I think we put in the best performances over all the seven matches of all the teams here."Löw said the tournament triumph was forged on team spirit."This team has developed an unbelievable team spirit and has developed a marvelous mental capacity," he said."And we are proud to become the first European country to win the title in south America. In Brazil, In Rio is this football-loving country and that makes us very proud."

"I said to Götze: 'OK, show the world you are better than Messi and can decide the World Cup,'" said Löw. "I told him that. I always had a good feeling about Götze. Argentina were becoming more and more tired, but we had players who could make a difference. Götze is a miracle boy, a boy wonder. He can play any position up front. I know he's always able to decide a match, and it was a great winner he scored. But in extra time we had the energy to move forward. We didn't want to go to penalties. We wanted the game decided before then, and we put them under more pressure.""We've been together as a squad now for 55 days, but we started this project 10 years ago, beginning with Jürgen Klinsmann," said the manager. "We'd not made this ultimate step before, but champions do what they will do. This team has developed a spirit which is unbelievable."

"Of course, the Bundesliga has a huge influence on the team and the training the young players get, we had an extremely young team in South Afirca in 2010," said Löw. "In 2000 and 2004, German football was down and out, we went out in the group phases so we took decisive steps and invested more in the players education. "It wasn't enough just to rely on German virtues, we had to get better on the pitch. "We created centres of excellence and I am grateful for the clubs who did that, this World Cup victory is a product of the excellent education and training in Germany."

Joachim Löw spoke of the moment he knew Sami Khedira was ruled out during the warm-up "Then Hansi came in. And that's really unusual, because he called me, and he never normally does," said Loew. "And then I knew that something had happened and we had decisions to make. And he told me, Khedira!" from Berliner Morgenpost

Quiet man Löw achieves the ultimate highEnis Koylu from goal.com writes "This is his team, playing his tactics and now winning in his way. And for that, Germany owes him a debt of gratitude. Many owe him an apology." And indeed, to their credit, some did exactly that.Letter of apology to Joachim Löw from a Bayern Munich fan blog.The sentiment was also expressed throughout social networks, with many who had previously been extremely critical acknowledging the error of their ways.

"This title will give us a boost once again," Low told Sky Sports. "This team has good prospects. We have a great future with many young players who have been greatly educated [in football]. "The players always show no fear and are never afraid and clearly the aim is now [to succeed in] Euro 2016 in France."I can imagine that we are soon going to be experiencing a German era in world football, as it previously was Spanish. All I can say is that we will not sit back now and say 'that's it'."I'm still enjoying my job, it's still fun," added Low,

"For me personally it's not the greatest challenge, there have been others that were similar," said Löw, "Every knockout match is always a really special challenge for a coach, if you know you have to win to advance."

"This team is not only Messi. To think like that would be a mistake - they also have players like [Gonzalo] Higuain, [Angel] Di Maria and [Sergio] Aguero," Löw said in his pre-match press conference."I think it will be a terrific final but we know how strong we are and I believe we will win."I have no fear whatsoever because I know it is a match between two teams that have had fascinating duels in the past. We have seen Argentina have produced great performances in this tournament."We know we can write history because no European team has won in Latin America. This can be considered an additional achievement for us if we win."He added: "We have a mature team. We have shown what we can do and we have been marching forward over the last few years."This team and German football has a future whatever happens tomorrow."We have players who are playing at their very best and also young players coming through who will have a fantastic future."We have young players who can play for a number of years. Right now, of course, we just want to concentrate on tomorrow's game."

"Losing the final will be disappointing, no doubt about it but German football has a great future and I do not see a problem at all," Löw told reporters."Time will tell. Sure, some players are at their very peak now but some very young players, some of whom are not even here, have a great future like (injured) Ilkay Guendogan and Marco Reus."Mesut Ozil, Mario Götze, Andre Schürrle, Sami Khedira and Manuel Neuer among other can keep playing for several more years," he said."We have the potential to remain at the very top in the coming years with more young players joining the national team. But at the moment we only focus on tomorrow's game and then we will see who is available and who is not."

"Over the last few years we've travelled and watched international football, in Europe and South America, and we've tried to learn little things that can influence matches," Löw said."We've taken on the new-fangled things that are being done. We have looked at Spain and we've looked across the border at what the Dutch are doing - how they train individual players."(On penalty shoot-out) "We hope and expect to decide the match before," he said."Penalty shoot-outs depend on so many things.They're an additional pressure. But all the goalkeepers are ready for that potential.We have tried to analyse the situation."

On the squad's final day in Campo Bahia, Jogi has given several media interviews:

"Wir werden den Pott mitbringen" - from sport1.de"I have already on occasions shown the team pictures of the fan zones, how the fans cheer, how they celebrate, how happy they are when we score a goal. This is incredible motivation and an incredible drive for us. Of course the fans want now the title. They want us to bring back the cup - and we will do that."

The above pictures have just appeared today from what appears to be an ARD interview. The actual interview will be linked to as soon as it is becomes available!

Training in Campo Bahia, 9 July 2014, and the team pose for the traditional farewell photograph

With everything that has followed the Brazil game and the excitement of the World Cup Final, it has been somewhat overlooked that this will be Hansi Flick's last match sitting next to Jogi on the touchline, as he moves on to the new post of DFB Sporting Director.He joined the team for Jogi's second game, a 1-0 win against Ireland in 2006, and has been beside him for 109 matches (the exception being Jogi's touchline ban against Portugal at Euro 2008!).Our own tribute to Hansi will follow!

Some people still treat German hero Joachim Low as a zero - 10 July 2014'He had just enjoyed perhaps the greatest professional triumph of his 54 years. He had spent a summer - and recent years - having his every decision deconstructed, criticised, ridiculed...' a very good article by Kit Holden

"Europe against South America - a juicy line-up," he said. "Argentina are defensively strong, compact, well-organized. "Offensively they have outstanding players like Messi and Higuain. We will prepare ourselves well and look forward to Rio."

Thanks again to Brighton Big Screen for a fantastic atmosphere, and as near to a German fan park as you could wish for outside of Germany!

Unfortunately, due to FIFA copyrights restrictions I am not able to upload video of the FIFA press conferences and some interview footage following games. However, should there be anything in particular you are seeking, please do contact me!

Last updated 18 July 2014With thanks to everyone on the Group for their help and support, especially Lucille, Silke, Elfriede, Sonia, Magda, Ines and Susanne.Anything else you think I should include on this page? Let me know!